Now and Then
by BlackHowling77
Summary: You can’t surrender to him, Gabi. That’s what he wants. He’ll ruin your life whether or not you accept defeat—because face it—you got in his way—you made things difficult. Because you didn't want him. You wanted me.
1. Chapter 1

**Troy**. **Now**.

How could life turn out this way?

How could it turn from pure ecstasy to uncontrolled fear in a matter of minutes—seconds?

A deep feeling was growing in the pit of my stomach. The flashing lights drew something from the innermost part of my being, granting the monster life. The emptiness was uncontrollable and it crawled its way around my heart and chest. Goose bumps appeared on my arms as my breath escaped me. I watched, not comprehending.

Red. Blue. Red. Blue.

"Mr. Bolton?" the voice brought me out of my stupor. "Can you answer the question?"

I blinked, shaking my head to clear the mist and cobwebs. Clear the denial. "What?"

"The question." The cop stated, eyes soft. "When was the last time you saw Miss. Montez?"

My throat tightened and I suddenly forgot how to talk—how to breathe. Her smile flashed in my mind and I felt her just over my shoulder. But I knew she wasn't there because no one knew _where_ she was.

"Um," I thought, the memories hurting. "Yesterday after school. We went out to lunch before my basketball practice."

He scribbled something down on his notepad. "Is there anyone who would want to take her? Did anyone hate her? Did she have any enemies?"

So many questions drew me to one incomprehensible question. Someone wanted to hurt Gabriella? For some reason I laughed at the subject.

"No." I rubbed my hands frantically over my face. "She didn't have any enemies. No one hated her. She was the one person that everyone liked."

The officer nodded his head and wrote more words down. That's all they were. Meaningless words that weren't going to get anyone anywhere. But I knew it was as much an interrogation to find where Gabriella was as to prove my innocence. "I didn't take her and I have no idea who would." It was the most overused statement to protect ones self.

"It's just protocol, son." He gives me a soft smile and I know that he believes me. "We'll start the investigation right away," he paused and found my depressed eyes. "We'll find her."

I just nod my head because the thought of her being somewhere alone kills me. The officer turns and leaves while I take a deep breath, my back hitting the closest wall. I slid down it; my shaking legs no longer able to support my suddenly weak body.

I put my head in my hands and cry silently for a while. It makes me feel better, I'll admit it, but it still doesn't change anything. I look up to the wall opposite me; the hanging pictures making my heart skip with loss.

There we are. The both of us. She's smiling, of course. And it's so innocent that it makes my blood boil to think that someone has tried to hurt her. The picture was taken during the Musical, and the flashbacks hit me full force.

"Just call me freaky callback boy." I whisper through the memories.

**Gabriella. Somewhere. Now.**

"Just call me freaky callback boy."

_It sounds so familiar, but I can't remember._

_I'm in darkness. A cold darkness, and it's to constricting for me. Instead of crushing, it just wraps around me, infesting me with the inability to think coherently. Something's holding me down; to the point where I can't even move a finger._

_The darkness moves, slightly, shifting. I can feel everything around me start to fall, falling, but I still can't move._

_My stomach plummets._

"Just call me freaky callback boy."

_The words surround me, escaping the infinite darkness. They dance, exhibiting some kind of force that pulls at my body. I still can't move. I try to fight anyways._

_The darkness is stronger._

_Then, the darkness I'm in hits rock bottom, the empty space shakes with a bone-jarring crash. The words around me shatter into a million tiny pieces, then fade away. But through the tiny rifts in the darkness that they've created comes light. And for the briefest of moments I think I can hear something._

_It's depressing, the sound, and almost mechanical._

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

_But it's faster, more like a soft thunder that has broken through the darkness for a millisecond. Its falling fast, all around me, and it's cold. Freezing. And wet._

_Rain!_

_Where am I?_

_Help me!_

_Find me!_

**Troy. Now.**

"_Find me!"_

I hear her voice in my head and I know that she's desperate, lost and alone somewhere.

She's calling for me.

"I will."

**Author Notes**: I stole the format from Waves by Sharon Dogar. I will update this when I can, so that's going to be whenever.


	2. Chapter 2

**Gabriella. Somewhere. Now.**

_I was still in darkness._

_But the rain would come and go. Something that confused me to no end._

_I'm always cold, which makes my thought slow and lethargic._

_But that's _not_ the point. I _can_ think in this impenetrable darkness. There's a voice in my head, I can't recognize who it is, but it's telling me to remember._

_Remember what?_

**Gabriella. Destiny Beach. Then.**

I was caught in between so many things at the moment. It was the middle of summer, and I was graduating in eight months. It seemed like such a long period of time, but I secretly knew it wasn't. It would come swift and fast, the end always did.

All good things had to come to an end. The time span just varied.

The best four years of my life had whizzed by in a flash. All the years blurred together into one memory to when I looked back on them, I never witnessed the same one twice. Years flashed by in an instant. Relationships lasted a lifetime, whether we wanted them to or not.

Troy shifted on the hot sand next to me, draping a hand over his eyes in his sleep. The action made him look childish and I couldn't help but laugh. He groaned, squinting his eyes to look at me.

"How long was I out?" He stretched his hands out, finally resting them behind his neck.

"I don't know." I shrugged, glancing to the almost setting sun. "I just woke up a couple of minutes ago."

"Another good day." He smiled, wrapping an arm around my stomach.

"How do you know?" I flashed him a teasing smile. "You were asleep for half of it."

"I was with you." He said simply. "Therein, good day."

I couldn't help the blush that grew across my cheeks. I still couldn't believe that _Troy Bolton_, the captain of the East High Wildcats, was actually _mine_. Not only that, but I was _his_. And the funny thing was, I didn't care.

"You're blushing," his smile was teasing. The corners of his mouth pulled to his ears, and his teeth were just visible behind his lips. If my heart had the capability of stopping every time he threw me that smile, I would have been dead a long time ago. As it was, my heart rate just sped up, the thumps sounding in my head.

"Am not." He saw through my denial and his smile widened. "I was hoping the sunset would hide it." I grumbled.

"Don't hide it," he kissed my forehead and I had to concentrate on breathing. He pulled me closer to him, his arms going around my shoulders and I rested the side of my face against his bare chest.

There were other kids on the beach, some playing in the waves, other embracing their inner child with sandcastles. Taylor and Chad were in the waves, ducking under each one as they crashed towards the beach. A group of West High kids were farther down the beach, staying well away from the area that Troy and I were in.

It was the one week during the summer when all the upcoming seniors went to the beach. A preparation for senior beach week, the one most anticipated week of the summer. Hanging out with the same group of kids that would be with you in the beach houses you rented. It was all for fun, considering the real thing was coming closer and closer.

There it was again. The concept of time and the fact that it was running out. Fast.

Troy's arms tightened around me, the action making me look up. His jaw was clenched, his glare focused on the group of West high teens farther down the beach.

"What's wrong?" I knew the answer, but decided to ask anyway. I had recognized the tall blond boy Troy was glaring at the first time I looked up. Dillon Chase, West High point guard and A-class asshole.

"That Dillon kid keeps looking over here at you." I could tell he was trying to keep his voice level; he really didn't like the kid.

"Troy Bolton," I tried to drag him out of the anger, "are you jealous?"

He turned his head towards me, his eyes slightly horrified. "No."

I laughed, putting my hand on his cheek. "Good, because you have no reason to be." And then I kissed him. I hadn't meant it to turn into anything, but as always, it did. It was fire every time we touched, the blood in both our veins burning with passion and ecstasy. I was on his chest, my arms wrapping around his neck. He pushed against my back, but I couldn't move into him any further. We broke apart, took a breath and then continued.

"Excuse me." A hand tapped my shoulder. I ignored it. "Come on now—Gabriella I know you have to breathe sometime—Would you cut it out!" Taylor's hand dragged me away from Troy.

"What?" I asked jokingly, smiling up at her.

"Oh, don't give me that Gabriella Montez." Her eyes were patronizing but her voice was playful. "I'm your best friend, the least you can do is spare me on the make out sessions."

I looked over and saw Chad give Troy a playful punch in the shoulder, Troy swiping at his legs. Chad bounded away, Troy following to tackle him to the sand.

"What did you want?" I asked, watching the sun turn a purple–red.

"Chad wants ice cream." She replied in a board voice. "We thought we could go back to the houses, clean up, get the ice cream, and then go to the cliffs to finish watching the sunset."

I nodded my head. "Sounds like a plan."

Chad jogged over, Troy trailing behind him. "Did I hear ice cream?" He was panting, his tongue hanging out like a dog.

"Yup." I smiled and looked to Troy. "I'm going to go home and clean up."

"I'll get your ice cream so you can save our spot up on the cliffs." His eyes brightened. "The usual?"

I grinned at him. "Of course."

**--XxX--**

The sunset was halfway done when I got to the cliffs that overlooked the beach. The last three times we had come to the beach, we had watched either the sunset or sunrise. It was tradition and the best part was, no one else knew about the spot.

Troy and I had found it the summer of sophomore year, and it had been ours forever since. It had originally been _only_ ours, but we had later told Chad and Taylor about it, and then eventually even Sharpay and Ryan.

I stood a couple feet from the edge; the breeze from the waves crashing against the rocks felt goods in the summer heat. The day had been humid, almost unbearable. But now that the sun was setting, it had tapered off a bit, making it the perfect atmosphere to watch the stars.

A twig snapped behind me and I froze. My legs were locked, even though my mind was flashing the "run now!" through my head. But my only movement was to turn, facing the new body that inhabited the secrecy of my secret place. I couldn't help but drop my guard a bit; something I would regret later.

"How did you know I was up here?" I said bluntly, crossing my arms over my chest.

Dillon Chase gave a grin. "Would you believe I'm psychic?"

I let out a tight laugh, almost mocking. "_Psychotic_ is more like it."

His eyes hardened and I knew I had made a mistake. Fueling his anger was stupid, and Troy was nowhere to be seen. I was completely alone.

He started circling me, eyes analyzing every small movement I made to counteract his. "Let's get down to business." He stopped circling and took a step towards me. "I need you to give Troy a message for me."

I narrowed my eyes skeptically. "…A message…?" I repeated. "Why did you follow me for that?"

"It had to be you." He shrugged, reaching his hands behind his neck. "You're very amusing when you don't know what's going on."

"Why me?" I whispered. I was beginning to like the situation less and less. "Why do you need _me_ to send your message?"

He flashed me an impish grin, his white teeth glowing in the sunset. My stomach dropped for some reason, I didn't like the smile at all. "Gabriella," he said evenly, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end, "_you are_ the message."**

* * *

Author's Notes**: Uhh, the only thing I can say is that I graduate tomorrow…and that I hope you got the format now. When I say NOW, the content is happening in the present. When I say THEN, it's basically like a flashback, but I didn't want to write "flashback" all the time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Troy. Now.**

I woke slowly, my body sitting up in bed. I glanced to the neon red lights of my alarm clock.

_4:47._

I let out a world-weary breath and took my head in my hands. I wasn't set to wake up for another hour, but it had been another sleepless night. Her face was everywhere, but it was never haunting. Gabriella could never be haunting. She was almost always smiling, waving her hands at me, like nothing was wrong.

My throat tightened. _Everything_ was wrong!

I twisted in bed, grabbed my pillow and threw it against the far wall of my room. "God Damn it!"

But nothing happened. She didn't appear magically in front of me like I wanted her to. My parents didn't come bursting into to scold me on my use of language. Only silence greeted my anger and I was so _annoyed_ because that's all I had been getting.

Nothing was new. No one was telling me anything about the investigation. No one was talking to me. Even my friends were avoiding me because they were afraid to say her name in front of me. Every time I entered the kitchen and my parents never made eye contact. Their heads were always bowed and they talked in soft voices. The confidence around me was completely extinguished.

And if the confidence was gone, there was nothing left. I always had confidence in myself and in Gabriella, that's what kept me running, but now that both of them were gone, I had nothing. I _was_ nothing without them. I clenched my jaw and my hands went to tight fists, my nails cutting into my palms.

Technically, I knew the world wouldn't stop turning if Gabriella was never found—if she—died. I knew that Albuquerque would mourn—for a little bit—and then life in the town would continue as it always had. Some folks would look back over their shoulders at what _could have_ been—_'oh, they were so young.' _Or_ 'they had so much potential together.'_—But most would just move on with their lives.

I knew life would go on _technically_……

……But what kind of life would it be without Gabriella?

It wouldn't be a life, I decided.

It would be a nightmare.

**Gabriella. Then.**

I didn't know whether to laugh or to take the threat seriously. My head jerked back in confusion with my indecision and incomprehension. "I'm the message?" I repeated, tilting my head at Dillon. He just raised his eyebrows; face straight.

I laughed. I couldn't help it. Okay, come on. We were juniors in high school for crying out laud! Threatening to hurt me because he didn't like Troy sounded so childish. And it was stupid. Didn't he realize that if he hurt me, things would not go well for him in the future?

But when he took a controlled step towards me, the hairs on my arms stood up. And with a dawning realization, I knew that he was completely serious.

My bad luck was beginning to get epic.

"You've got to be joking." I let out a hesitant laugh, looking over his shoulder. Why the hell were Troy and the others taking so damn long!

His eyes flashed with the smallest and briefest hint of sympathy. "I'm sorry, but in your case," he took another step towards me. "I'm dead serious."

Someone up there _really_ didn't like me.

I had enough time to take one short breath before he was on me. His crude hands bit into my shoulders and he picked me off the ground, throwing me to the dirt. I rolled and then frantically got to me feet, grabbing some dirt while I stood. My chest heaved for the air that I lost in the fall.

"Don't make this harder than it already is." He was relentless in his steps towards me.

"You're so full of shit!" I bit out. "You know that?"

He let out a choked laugh, stopping his advance. His pause gave me the time to catch my breath. "I beg your pardon?"

"You've had everything handed to you!" I was pissed. What gave him to right to decide that he was going to kill me? I had as much a say as he did, considering it was my life he was trying to extinguish. I continued with my staling. "Basketball! College! Money! Cars! Everything's been so easy for you to get! But the moment you see two people who have worked so hard to be with one another, you try to end it just because you cant have it. Let me tell you something, what me and Troy have is a feeling you will never experience in your lifetime!"

I stared him down, my back four steps from the edge of the cliff. "Are you done?" He threw me an evil smile right before he sprinted forward.

Out of pure reflex, I threw the dirt into his eyes, blinding him. His hands went to his face as I ducked under his arms. He tried to stop, because I could hear his sneakers slip on the unsteady ground. I turned just to see his half open, teary eyes looking back at me. Then his body was flying over the edge.

My feelings mixed with my reflexes and in pure instinct, I reached out to grab his desperate, outstretched hand. I could never kill someone, on purpose or on accident. Neither could I watch someone die if I could do something to prevent it. So my grip around his wrist tightened as he went over the edge, as did his when he realized what was happening.

I wasn't expecting the shear force of his body weight when it met nothing but air and I was almost dragged over with him. With a surprised and annoyed roar, I went to my hands and knees and then to my stomach when I almost fell over. I was sliding towards the edge when I heard a sickening crack, and the grip around my wrist went completely slack. I dug my feet and my left hand into the sand around the edge when the side of my face went over. The sight below me made me roll my eyes.

The dumb bastard had smashed his head into the side of the cliff!

First he tried to hurt me. And now, he's making it even harder for me to save his worthless ass! But none of that really mattered because I was still sliding, ever slowly, towards the edge. Now that I could see my doom—my death—I was beginning to regret ever trying to save him in the first place.

To make matters worse, my shoulder slid out of socket. It was such an awkward feeling, having nothing but muscle and tissue holding something of important into place. The weird feeling lasted for only a couple of seconds before the pain surfaced. It was a burning sensation that was gradually numbing my shoulder, crawling its way slowly down my arm. Dillon slipped a little in my grip. I screamed out of pain and desperation.

"_**HELP!**_"

**Troy. Then.**

The ice cream was on the forest floor before I ever realized that I was running. My breath burned hot in my chest as I sprinted at full force towards her scream. She was hurt. And I hadn't been there to protect her. Chad and Taylor weren't calling to me or yelling my name. They were right behind me; I could hear their fast breathing.

I burst from the trees, sliding to a halt when my eyes found the cliff.

"_**Gabriella!**_" She turned her head to look at me, that small movement creating her downfall, literally. Her eyes went big, chocolate full of fear when her body started sliding more rapidly over the edge. I was faster than lightening, grabbing her left hand when everything else went over.

She was heavy. I started sliding as soon as her hand tightened around mine. But Chad grabbed my stomach and Taylor grabbed onto Gabriella's wrist. Together we started pulling. Gabriella screamed again, the sound hurting my ears. It turned into a choked sob when she was pulled more than halfway over to solid ground.

The moment I saw her hand wrapped around someone's wrist, I saw her shoulder. It was awkward. That was the most fitting word I could think of to describe the injury. Chad and Taylor rushed past me to grab the arm of the person still hanging over the edge while I pulled Gabriella farther away. As soon as the pressure was relinquished from her arm, I heard a loud 'pop' and Gabriella's breath choked in her throat.

"Baby, are you okay?" My hands were on her cheeks as she took deep breaths.

She nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm fine." I helped her sit up, her head swiveling around. "Where is he?"

"Where is wh—" the moment I saw his unconscious carcass, my jaw clenched. The side of his face was covered in blood. But there wasn't enough for my liking. Gabriella's hands tightened around my wrists.

"It's fine." I looked back to her, my blue eyes not understanding. How could it be fine that he tried to hurt her?

"Aw, damn it!" Dillon grumbled. My gaze flickered towards him at the sound of his annoyed voice. I could just see his bright eyes around Gabriella's elbow, focused on her, irritated. "She didn't fall!" he complained.

I lunged forward, away from Gabriella. With a loud smacking sound, my fist hit Dillon's face. I felt it, my knuckles against his jaw, and pushed harder into the blow. This man—_boy_—would regret trying to hurt Gabriella. I would see to it _personally_.

Dillon's eyes rolled back in his head, and his mouth fell slack, broken jaw sliding out of place. The clearing we were in grew very quiet for a few seconds.

"Uhh," Chad said in a mild voice breaking the silence, "_medically_ speaking, I'm not _quite_ sure that was the most helpful thing to do for his condition at the moment."

"But _I_ feel better," I answered, sullen, resisting the strong urge to kick the unconscious boy in the stomach for good measure.

Chad's firm mouth fell open into a grin. "Well, maybe a few more minutes of unconsciousness won't kill him." He paused, eyes turning firm. "Regrettably."

"What do we do with him?" I asked, standing up and whipping my hands on my shorts.

"Nothing." I glanced back to Gabriella. She was standing, her left hand gripping her right shoulder.

"What do you mean 'nothing'? He just tried to hurt you. Hell, he might have even killed you, given the chance!" I argued.

She shook her head. "That would make us no better then him." She shrugged her shoulder softly. "Besides, I'm fine."

"So," Chad scratched the back of his neck. "Who's going to carry him?"

I gave him a sidelong glance, rolling my eyes.

His finger shot up to his nose. "Nose game!"

"I said we weren't going to do anything _to_ him." Gabriella interrupted. "That doesn't mean we have to do anything _for _him."

"What are you suggesting?" Taylor asked, breaking her silence.

"We leave his ass here." Gabriella walked forward and put her toe under Dillon's stomach, rolling him over to his back. "He's not going anywhere anytime soon."

I smiled. She continued.

"He'll wake up, know that he failed in what he wanted to do, and that for some reason, when he went over that cliff, he didn't die." She turned and started to walk away. "The realization will dawn on him that he was saved by the very person he wanted to hurt. And _that_, I have been told, is the worst feeling ever."

I started to follow her, Chad and Taylor close behind me. She stopped and waited for us to catch up, her left hand falling to her side so that I could grab a hold of it. She still hadn't moved her right arm, whether she could or couldn't, she wasn't letting on. Halfway through our walk through the woods, she stopped and turned to look at me.

"Where's my ice cream?"

**

* * *

Author's Note:** Graduation. State Soccer Game. Beach Week. That's all I have as an excuse.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note**: I had to change the landscape a little bit for what I wanted to happen. Obviously there is no subdivision just a few miles outside of Albuquerque, well, at least I don't think there is, but I hope you guys don't get too made at me. I don't own the books, those are real and copyrighted.

**

* * *

****Troy. Now.**

I rolled to a stop in front of the local ice cream shop. Taylor, Chad and Sharpay were waiting for me. I took a deep breath, turning off my car and stepping out. They gave me forced smiles when I approached.

Taylor walked forward and hugged me. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine." I hugged her back lightly, emotionless.

Chad's hand found my shoulder and he gave me a hesitant smile. "We haven't ordered yet. We waited."

"You didn't have to do that." I answered, walking up towards the order window.

"We thought it would be rude to order without you." The words came from Sharpay's mouth and I couldn't hold back a grin. "We didn't know what you would get."

"The usual." I shrugged and then frowned. It's what _she_ used to get. A vanilla sunday with hot fudge, caramel and crushed Oreos. Everyone's face fell and we ordered in silence.

Chad cleared his throat when we found a picnic table to eat at. "So…"

"Yeah." Taylor mumbled. "So."

Then Sharpay barreled right into it, typical. "They'll find her guys. It's just a matter of time."

"I was with her that day." Taylor whispered. "The day she went missing. I dropped her off at her house. I could have stayed. I could have done something. But — but I just didn't know."

"It's not your fault." Chad wrapped a comforting around her shoulder. I hoped I would get the chance to do that again with the one I loved.

"Did you know that most missing persons cases that exceeded 48 hours never get solved." Taylor whispered, taking her head in her hands.

"Are you serious, Taylor?" Sharpay growled, her eyes hardening. Her back had gone ridged at the words pouring from Taylor's mouth and her hand had clenched on the table. "You're already giving up? She's your best friend for gods sake!"

"I'm still trying, Sharpay?" Taylor snapped back. "It's just hard. We haven't gotten anything for three days. _Nothing_."

Sharpay just growled and turned on me, her eyes sharp. "And what about you, Troy? You already given up?"

"No."

"That's really reassuring." The blond snapped back. "I hope you aren't trying to convince anyone that you're fine. I can see it in your eyes. You're depressed. Where is that going to get you? Nowhere."

"What do you expect!?" I yelled, tired of where this conversation was going. "My girlfriend's gone missing and there isn't even an ouch of information! How did they get her in broad daylight? Is she even _alive_?" The three cringed at the word and Sharpay eyes softened, backing down. "Don't you realize that it's killing me, Sharpay? I can't take it. I'll die if she does."

"Troy, I know." She tilted her head at me, reaching for my hand. "You just can't keep everything inside. That's a path to your own destruction. We can't give up hope until they've found her."

We grew silent again and I glanced around. Many people had been staring at us, the commotion stirring their curiosity. But most of them, once they saw who we were, just turned away, shaking their heads. It had been the biggest story to hit Albuquerque in a _long_ time. Some people were already starting to grieve, giving up. Others, like Sharpay, had developed a strong will to believe in the good in life. Nothing bad would happen to high school sweethearts who had just graduated from high school. Life was cruel, but not _that_ cruel. I hoped we wouldn't get proven wrong.

"I miss her." I whispered, holding back tears. There. I had said it. "I just wish I could know what happened. I'd give anything to know _why_ it happened to _her_."

"We would too."

**Gabriella. Three days ago.**

"Where's your car?" Taylor rested her chin on the steering wheel of her Dodge and looked out my window.

I sighed, unlocking the car door. "My mom took it to the shop this morning. The hydraulics in the breaks are messed up. The pressure's all wrong and the rubbers stripped down to the metal."

Taylor hissed between her teeth. "I'm glad you found out now rather then later."

"I'm not out of the clear yet." I cringe at the thought of the conversation my mom and me were going to have when she got back. "The bill's going to be insane."

Taylor made a face. "Well, call me later if you survive."

"I will. See you later girl." I laughed, tapping her car door. She nodded her head at me and I stepped back. She drove off, waving at me from her rear view mirror; I waved back, knowing I would see her tomorrow.

My house was anything but extraordinary. It was white; the only white house on my street considering my mom liked the old farmhouse look over the red of the bricks. Besides, _everything_ was red in Albuquerque. I grabbed the mail from the mail box before I entered my house through the garage.

"Bills. Bills." I flipped through the envelopes. "More bills." My hand found a manila one addressed to me from the library. I tilted my head a little. It was hand addressed, which was strange because I though all the publicly owned buildings did there mail through other companies. I opened it, setting the others on the island in the kitchen.

Dear Gabriella Montez,

We are pleased to inform you that your books for AU arrived yesterday. It would be greatly appreciated if you picked them up in a time frame of two days after their arrival.

The contents include _Chemistry in Context_ by: The American Chemical Society and _Introduction to Genetic Principles_ by: David R. Hyde. Again, we would greatly appreciate it if you could pick up these materials as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Library Staff

I groaned. I didn't even remember ordering any books from the library, but then again, my mom probably did it for me. I was going to have to go and pick them up. I set down the letter on the island. The wind from the fan over my head blew it off and it floated down to the floor where it skimmed underneath the refrigerator. I rolled my eyes and dropped to my hands and knees.

It was too far under for my arm to reach. "Whatever." I sighed and walked towards the stairs, taking them two at a time. Turning right at the top I entered my bedroom, grabbed the extremely overdue library books and shoved them into my backpack. I couldn't procrastinate any longer. I found my bike out back, dragging it around front. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and started my long trek to the library.

I pedaled for the main road, and town. My house was in a rural subdivision a few miles east of Albuquerque in the Sandia Mountains. I knew that because I had gone to the library many times towards the end of senior year, but never on my bike. It was going to be an adventure, but I needed the exercise. The road between Sunrise Valley subdivision and Albuquerque was beautiful, winding country roads that snaked up one side of the mountain that bordered my community, through a dense pine forests and down the other side into Albuquerque. As much as I focused on getting to the library as quickly as my legs would bring me, it was hard for me not to notice how beautiful the mountains were.

The sun was on its way down, creating long pine-tree shadows across the road. The amber rays sparkled through the trees as I rode, making me feel as if I was escaping the light, only to be blinded by it seconds later. I passed an open meadow, daisy and other wild flowers blowing in the wind. I could hear the birds chattering in the trees, and even saw a couple of fireflies dancing among the trees. It was a rather pleasing ride. I promised myself that I would make the trip again, maybe on a Sunday with my mom, or even Troy.

The road inclined quickly as it brought me up into the mountain. I was in shape, but still, a steep climb is a steep climb, any way you look at it. It was no problem, but I didn't like to get sweaty. Never did. Lugging the library books I had to return almost seemed like a bad idea, because it would have been an easy drive into town on any other day. But there was no turning back now. I had to gut it out, sweat and all. _Yuck_.

The road got even steeper and wound sharply to the right. Out of all the years I had lived in Albuquerque, going on three, I didn't remember it being so steep, though I had almost always been in my car. Roads never seemed as steep in cars as they did when you were riding or running. I rounded the bend and saw that the road continued to bend around the mountain. I couldn't see how much farther it was to the top, but I knew it must be just around the curve ahead.

That's when I heard the car.

It was faint at first. I was breathing so hard that I couldn't make out what it was right away. But the sound quickly grew louder. Soon there was no doubt in my mind. A car was coming up behind me. Fast. I glanced back out of instinct, but there was nothing to see except the bend I had just come around. The oncoming car hadn't gotten there yet. In a few seconds it would careen around the corner and be right behind me. The road was pretty narrow, and I thought about getting off and moving to the side for safety. But the idea of having to start up again on this steep hill wasn't a happy one. I did a quick calculation and figured the car would see me in plenty of time to move over. I stood up and pumped harder, hoping to get to the top of the rise before the car. It was just starting to dawn on me how stupid this idea had been.

Behind me, the car rounded the curve. The engine was working so hard it sounded as if it were roaring at me. A quick, scary thought came to me. What if he tried to run me off the road? I hadn't thought about it. My heart raced, faster then it had from the climb. All I wanted to do was get around the next corner and see the top of the rise.

The roar of the car grew louder. I decided to jump off my bike, but a quick look to the side showed me that the shoulder was too narrow. There was a steep drop-off. If I dismounted now, there would be no place to go. If this car wanted to run me down, it had found the perfect place to do it.

Seconds later the car was on me. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the impact of the hit. I gritted my teeth, tightened up, and — the car roared past — It was so close I felt the breeze as it sped by. I opened my eyes and saw that it was a minivan full of little kids being driven by a soccer mom. The woman tried to move over to get clear of me, but there was just so far she could go without passing into the oncoming lane, with a blind curve ahead. If the van was in that lane and a car came around the other side — crash.

I looked up to see the little kids pressing their faces against the rear window, waving at me. I smiled and waved back. I was exhausted, but relieved that it had been just a minivan full of kids. I laughed at myself for being so paranoid. Running me off the road, yeah right! Now all I had to do was get to the top of the rise and the work would be over. The minivan had disappeared around the corner. I put my head down and stood up again, digging into the pedals for the final push home. The roar of the minivan echoed off the side of the mountain.

I guess that's why I didn't hear the car that was coming from the other way.

I downshifted, pumping my legs, and looked ahead in time to see a jet-black Nissan Xterra screaming around the corner, heading directly towards me. The driver wasn't worried about being in the wrong lane. The car had crossed the centerline and was charging right for me. There was only one thing I could do.

Bail out.

I threw the bike at the car and dove to my left. The black Nissan hit the bike's front tire before I was completely clear. I heard the screech of breaks and the shrieking sound of the tires skidding on the asphalt. The driver didn't mind hitting me, but wasn't prepared to crash over the edge while doing it. He didn't want to kill me _that_ bad. The thought was kind of reassuring.

That was until the force of the impact twisted me around so quickly and violently that I had no hope of making a controlled fall. The weight from the books on my back made it even worse. They acted like a counterweight, twisting my body around with even more force. Before I hit the ground, I had one brief thought:

**"Why didn't I wear my helmet?"**

My shoulder hit a tree. The force snapped my head back. I smashed to the ground and hit hard on my other shoulder. The ground was so steep that I kept moving, tumbling head-over-ass-over-arms-over-legs. I was an out of control rag doll, slamming into trees and boulders on the way down. Finally, with a rude thud, I slammed into one last tree and stopped. A second later, the forest around me grew silent. I was on my back, staring up at the clouding sky above me.

I was in shock.

I had no idea how badly I was hurt, or if I was even bleeding. There was too much pain to concentrate on anything and it felt like being in a dream, half asleep, but unable to move. I glanced to the destructive path I had created down the slop to see that I had fallen far from the road. Even if I could move, there was no way I would be able to crawl up the steep hill. Worse, I feared that I had fallen so far that nobody would see me lying here, and night was coming. I moved my eyes slightly to get a better look at where I had fallen, and saw something that made my breath catch.

Parked on the edge of the road was the black Nissan. The sun was long gone, so it's headlights were on. Behind the gleaming beams, the chrome bumper grinned at me, dented from where it had hit my bike. The driver's door opened. I was finally going to see the monster that had run me off the road. Who could it possibly be? The driver walked to the front of the car so he could be seen in the headlights. It was like he wanted me to see him. It didn't make any sense. Standing on the edge of the road, looking down at me—was Dillon Chase.

The West High, wavy-haired, point guard stood in the lights of the black Nissan with his hands on his hips, staring at me. Hope built up in my stomach. He wouldn't' be so stupid as to try and hurt me again. He had to be here to _help_ me. If I went missing, he had to known that he would be the first person suspected. This was all just a horrible misunderstanding. But then again, we never did tell anyone about that night at the beach last year. I cursed inwardly at my previous decision to let it be. Another thing that caught my attention was that Dillon was making his way down the hill, which seemed way too easy, towards me.

I gritted my teeth, trying to move. I managed to roll over to my stomach, but going anywhere was a lost cause because too many things were broken. I couldn't see very well, my vision had narrowed considerably after the fall. The back of my head felt like it was split in two and I was vaguely aware of some kind of sticky wetness running down my face. Blood, which didn't surprise me at all. I tried to push myself up with my arms but a wave of nausea hit me so hard and fast that I gagged. Pain splintered from my right shoulder and down my arm and I knew it was broken, I couldn't move my fingers. Wrist too, probably. My whole right side felt like it had been shattered into a very fine powder and my left wasn't feeling to hot either.

"You don't need to get up for my sake." A foot found the middle of my back and I was pushed back to the ground. I closed my eyes, swallowing as my mind finally started to piece together what was really happening. Dillon had run me off the road, and wasn't going to do anything to help me. "That fall looked pretty cool, I might send it into that _Holy Sh..!_ TV show. It was killer."

"It felt…pretty cool," I rasped out, annoyed. "You should…try it…sometime."

"Ehh, no thanks." He moved his foot off of my back and I took in a shattered breath. "I think I'll leave the dying to you."

"Well, thanks…I guess." I rolled my eyes. He always was a heartless bastard.

"You sure you're okay?" His mock concern made my stomach roll. I choked and blood ran from my mouth.

"What do…you want?" I sighed, getting my breath back. I tried to find his body through the hair that had fallen across my face when I tried to move.

He knelt down next to me; I could hear his knees crack. A second later, he brushed the stray hair out of my eyes. He smiled at me, a soft smile that completely counteracted what he was currently doing. "Troy Bolton's destruction. What else?"

His response came from so far out of left field that I didn't know how to respond. I'm pretty sure my mouth fell open and my eyes went wide, though I still couldn't see very well. "Excuse…me?"

"I've never seen someone quite like you before Gabriella Montez." He stood, I felt the ground move slightly as he walked around my body. "The new kid on the block and you nab the unreachable, East High's Golden Boy: Troy Bolton."

"The feelings…mutual." I rasped, smiling. "It…goes both…ways."

"I know." Dillon laughed. "That's why it was so surprising. I had to see for myself. So when we played him for the Championships," he sighed, his voice radiating right next to my ear. "Well, you know what happened. Technical difficulties with the scoreboard and then we all watched you in the auditorium. While everyone was so transfixed by the fact that _Troy Bolton_ really did love _you_ of all people, I was only focused on how I was going to use that to my advantage."

"…bastard." I growled. I hated anyone who used peoples loved ones against them. It was a cowardly act. I _hated_ it.

He gave a pleasing laugh and it felt like he sat down next to me. "I watched you after that. Constantly. I couldn't get you out of my head. How I was going to use you to get revenge on Troy." He paused and sighed like he was pouring his soul out to me. I didn't care. "How could _you_ love Troy Bolton? What made your relationship tick? How could _he_ love _you _— the "freaky-math-girl?"

I tried to yell curses at him, but the action was too strong for my lungs and more blood entered my mouth. I spit it out on the ground next to me, hoping to hit him. It missed by inches. He cleared his throat, ignored me and continued.

"Then I saw you two at the beach last summer, and I saw that my opportunity had finally arrived. I waited, of course, till you were alone, which took quite a while," I felt him shrug. "The day before we all left if I'm not mistaken." I watched him snap a small twig with his unshaken hands. "But he did, and that's when I struck. Or tried to anyways. I've never really figured out why you saved me that night. I was going to hurt you — _badly_. _To the point where you would have begged me for death_ — But you save me from going over the edge and I saw it as a sign from God. My plan was meant to continue. And I still knew that _you_ were my tool for breaking Troy." He tilted his head down at me, a grin spreading across his face. "You escaped me once. I wasn't going to let it happen again."

"So you tried…to throw me off…a cliff to get…at Troy." I snapped with as much anger as I could muster between my pants from my oxygen craved lungs. "And when that didn't…work, you ran me…off the road with…your car."

"I make it up as I go." It was a board tone and I couldn't believe that an actual human being was doing this to me, let alone someone my own age. "I saw your mom take your car to the shop and then planted that fake envelope from the library in your mailbox. It surprised me when you brought that poor excuse of a bike out from the back, but it didn't make a difference. It would still be like you were walking. Unprotected either way."

"…you son of a…bitch." The words flowed like venom from my mouth. "You're…insane."

"I'll make a deal with you, Gabriella." His eyes were bright, and touched my cheek. I glared daggers at him. "You give me your word that you'll break up with Troy — that you'll leave him and never look back — And I'll call the paramedics. They'll be here in minutes and we can get you out of here and to safety. All you have to do is forget about Troy Bolton and you'll be saved." A small smile curved at the edges of his mouth, encouraging me gently.

"…Never…" I growled with the last of my strength. I would never betray Troy for my own safety. I knew that I would be the cause for his infinite pain, for the deep depression that was bound to hit his full force. I was certain of this because if he ever left me, I would feel the same exact way. Empty. Devastated. Alone.

"You would rather die knowing he loved you, then live knowing he didn't?" Dillon's question was thick with surprise and he tilted his head to the side. Obviously he had never felt true love before.

"…ab — absolutely…" I whimpered, cringing as another wave of nausea crashed into me. The world tilted and my vision blurred around the edges, stomach churning. Now that the conversation was almost over, my concentration was beginning to focus on something else. Pain. My head was splitting and my chest and stomach were on fire. At least I could feel my arms and head, but everything below my waist was lost to me.

"Well then, let me be the first one to say that you've just dug your own grave." Dillon said with an arrogant air, his tone laced with hostility. He stood and made his way back up the hill to his parked Nissan. "I've just seen the similarity's between last summer and this moment. We're alone again and someone has fallen over a steep hill. It wasn't a cliff, but the condition of your body is telling me that it was enough." He paused, silence meeting me before he spoke again. "But there's one thing that's different." His voice echoed back over his shoulder before he turned and smiled, his eyes searching for blood. Mine. "_I'm not going to save you_."


End file.
